The present invention relates to the field of lubricious compositions useful as coatings on surfaces of medical devices.
Improving the surface lubricity of insertable medical devices such as by application of lubricious polymeric coatings to the surfaces of such devices for the purpose of reducing friction between the surface of the medical device and other surfaces to which it comes into contact, such as when the device is introduced into the human body, is known in the art.
Catheters used for the delivery of other medical devices such as stents, stent-grafts, grafts, vena cava filters, dilatation balloons, as well as other expandable medical devices, and other medical devices used for introduction in blood vessels, urethra, body conduits and the like, and guide wires used with such devices are examples of articles which may be provided with lubricious coatings.
Guide catheters, and catheters for balloon angioplasty and biopsy are specific examples of such catheters.
Lubricious coatings of both a hydrophobic and a hydrophilic nature are known. Silicone is an example of a known hydrophobic lubricant.
Hydrogel polymers are also known lubricants and may be characterized by an initial non-tacky to tacky quality followed by lubricity upon hydration.